Airbus’ last active BelugaST (“Super Transporter”) is set to perform its final flight on January 29, 2026, after more than three decades of service.
This iconic cargo aircraft is an A300-600 aircraft which has been specially customized to carry oversized cargo, such as wings and other aircraft sub-assemblies, between the different Airbus production plants scattered across Europe.
Its bulging shape is the result of having cut off the top of an A300-600 to integrate it with the upper part of a second fuselage. Loading and unloading is done through the aircraft’s upper frontal section, which opens upwards, right above the cockpit.
Airbus previously operated a fleet of five such aircraft, which from 1994 replaced the Super Guppy, a heavily modified version of the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. An example of this aircraft is currently preserved at the Airbus Aeroscopia museum in Toulouse, France.
Since 2020, the BelugaST has been progressively replaced by the BelugaXL, which follows the same design concept as its predecessor, but is based on the more modern Airbus A330. The BelugaXL has provided Airbus with 30% more space and range than the ST for the same type of missions.
Airbus tried to find a new mission for its old BelugaST fleet by making them available to third-party cargo operators. However, these attempts failed to meet expectations. Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT), the dedicated air cargo subsidiary created by the European manufacturer with this purpose, was closed down in 2025, sealing the fate of the BelugaST fleet.
This final BelugaST flight will be performed by the fifth of these aircraft, registration F-GSTF. On its approach before its final landing at Hawarden (CEG), the airport serving Airbus Broughton factory, the aircraft will perform a fly-past over North Wales.